


The sea chanty of the pirate and the sailor

by maradidepaig



Category: Sherlock (TV), Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Sherlock Holmes & John Watson Meet Differently, John Watson Navy sailor, M/M, Pirate Sherlock, Pirates, Sherlock Holmes & John Watson Friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-19
Updated: 2017-06-19
Packaged: 2018-11-16 01:55:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,696
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11243922
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/maradidepaig/pseuds/maradidepaig
Summary: Sherlock is a pirate. John is captain of a British Royal Navy ship. And an unexpected encounter brought them together.





	The sea chanty of the pirate and the sailor

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! This is a short story that I wrote because I am bored. (Well... exams period... everyone is bored)  
> And... I'm not sure if you're gonna like it, but I just wanna post it out to let everyone take a look. I really want to know how I can improve (I know there's certainly a lot of room for improvement)
> 
> So... do leave a comment or a kudos : )  
> Please  
> Please

He was sitting on the deck, watching the waves hitting his ship again and again. The sea was vast, blue, and miraculous. He stared, hoping that the sea could soothe his troubled heart.

White foam was formed on the azure waters, and he felt just like the bubbles. Drifting, aimless, weak.

“Captain? Captain Holmes? Where’re we heading to?” His crew asked. His train of thoughts were abruptly interrupted.

He had absolutely no idea where he’d sail.

Sherlock was tired of the sea. The sea was deep and hard to understand. Day by day, he felt as if the ocean engulfed his lonely soul bit by bit.

Of course, he had plenty of people around him. His crew, they were hardworking and never complained. A couple of times when he was on the shore, he messed around with the women in the villages.

But there was this feeling that was constantly nagging at him. His heart yearned for something. Something he had no idea of. His life was tedious, boring, and he waited for the someone to brighten him up.

Sherlock didn’t have plans for the future. However, his crewmen were waiting for his orders. He quietly took his telescope out and saw a luxurious ship. Without doubt, he knew it was the Royal Naval USN Victress.

“Well,” he cleared his throat, “that ship, about 250 miles away, to the north, that’s our target. Go blast a hole in its golden hull! Ready the canons!” He gave the orders with confidence.

“Ready the canons!” His fellow crewmen repeated.

 

***

“Captain? Captain Watson? There is a ship to our south, about 250 miles away. It’s sailing towards us!” The petrified Lieutenant rushed to John.

John quickly grabbed his telescope. Not good, he said to himself. He saw the Jolly Roger flying on the ship. Pirates.

“Steady the ship! Hand out the guns! Brace yourselves for pirates’ attack!” John ordered calmly. He was desperate to cover up his panicking. He wasn’t sure the Victress could survive the attack.

The pirate ship was speeding up. In no time its crew would board the Victress. John’d run out of time. Death was unescapable. He didn’t fear death, but he feared the humiliation from the filthy, uncivilized rulers of the sea.  

 

***

“On the count of three, fire the canons. One… Two… Three… FIRE!” Sherlock commanded with absolute leadership. The Naval Victress was weak and small, compared to his magnificent ship—the Jolly Mary.

When the canons were fired, the Victress immediately fell. However hard its crew struggled, the Naval ship was in bad shape after the extreme firings. Water gushed into its cabins.

“Board the Victress! Capture the crew! Bring them to me!” Sherlock shouted. Another ship I conquered, he thought. Pirates’ realm. No one could trespass.

Sherlock tidied his overcoat and put on his tricorne hat. _That_ was how a proper pirate captain should look like.

 

***

It was painful seeing the pirates bomb the Victress. John had been its captain for 7 years, and he had rather a lot of emotions attached to it.

He was furious when the pirates boarded his ship and ruined it. He knew, today this battle would certainly be lost, but at least he wanted to die gloriously. He pulled his sword from his sheath.

Suddenly he felt the cold tip of a gun against his temple. “May we escort you to our ship, _Captain_?” The foul breath of the pirates gushed into John’s nostrils, their words loaded with sarcasm.

“You may as well pull the trigger, you dirty slugs.” John said.

The pirates seemed enraged and they tied John up instead. They dragged him by his collar, and John stumbled along the way.

John hated himself for not being able to fight back. He shivered at the thought of being held prisoners by the pirates. What kind of torture lay ahead of him?

He was dragged onto the deck of the pirate boat. He stood unyieldingly, but a kick on his knee cap soon brought him to kneel. There he saw its captain standing arrogantly. He was younger than John imagined. The pirate captain was around 30 years of age, and looked bright.

The captain stood with his back facing John. “Greetings, captain of the Victress. We welcome you on board the Jolly Mary.” He turned around and held out a hand, “Captain Holmes. Captain Sherlock Holmes. Pleasure to meet you.”

John was disgusted. Pirates did not deserve to have manners. And he certainly would not shake that filthy hand. John ignored the outstretched hand before him, and looked sideways.

“Well,” Sherlock decided, “Looks like our prisoner still thinks that he’s the commander here. Sailors, let’s teach him some manners, should we?” The fellow pirates cheered and chanted in unison.

Sherlock walked to John’s side, and whispered in his ear, “You’d better be careful here. Me and my crew have a bit of a history with you Navies.” He slapped the prisoner hard on the face, and sneered.

John was beaten by the pirates and thrown into the small, dirty prison cell.

 

***

John was lonely. He felt hollow. All the glory and fame he once got was snatched away by these thieves at sea. He had been the captain of a giant, beautiful Naval ship, and what was he now? A wretched, poor prisoner, humiliated and hated.

There was a tiny window in his cell. John stared into the deep, roaring ocean. He sighed. He was just a traveler in its embrace, gone in a blink. His life was meaningless, and he was sick of the sea. 7 years on the sea, and yet he desired more.

His partners in the Navies had already found their companions. They had someone to share their ups and downs, and yet John, having met quite a number of pretty women, had still not yet found the love of his life.

I was a lonely man, thought John. All these years he sailed along the sea, seeing all the wonders and beauties of this world. And yet nothing, _nothing_ could fill that hole in his heart. He needed a friend, _no_ , he needed someone _more_ than a friend. Someone to confide in, someone to comfort him, someone to support his exhausted mind.

 

***

Night fell and the luminous stars twinkled on the deep blue canvas we called the sky. There was a knock on the cell’s gate. John was startled.

“Hi, I... err… I just… want a little chat.” The bright face of the pirate captain popped in and said softly.

“What are you doing here?” John asked with a snort. “Shouldn’t you be out there mingling with your disgusting friends?”

The captain looked insulted. “Look, I apologize for any misunderstanding between us. I come here with good will.” He pulled a key from his pocket and unlocked the gate. He stepped in and sat beside John.

“Years ago, I was not a pirate. In fact, in my younger days, I helped the police solve strange cases. I was a detective back then. And I had a partner. My best friend. John. And… err… we got along very very well. I’ve always liked him, no, I _loved_ him, secretly. But one day when we were dealing with a really dangerous criminal, Professor Moriarty, we were, unfortunately, captured by him. He tortured us and eventually put us into some brain-washing machine. I could no longer remember who I was, where I had been, what I was doing, etc. All the things I’ve just told you, were the facts I collected and organized from others’ recounts.”

John listened without saying a word. He looked serious.

“But I could no longer find John. He had left my life ever since. I’ve wondered for countless times, whether he is happy now. I miss the amazing time when he and I shared a lot of blissful moments. And then, I was tired of the life on land, and I became a pirate. As I sail in the vast, vast oceans, I never yield my search for the right person to bring light and joy into my life again, just like how John once did.

Right at the moment I saw you, I knew you would be someone special to me. Your name, your face, your body, everything about you, reminds me of John. Forgive me if I had ever offended you earlier today, it was because I was confused and not sure. Do forgive me.”

Sherlock was on the verge of tears, and, seeing no reaction from John, he turned to leave, grimly. Suddenly he felt a hand on his shoulders. John was looking at his face, and violent shook his head.

“Oh my god, oh dear. Is it you? Is it you Sherlock? All… All these years where have you been? Oh, Sherlock! You have no idea how hard I’ve been searching for you. Oh no…” John was sobbing. He lifted his hand and stroked Sherlock’s cheek softly. “Sherl… I missed you so much.”

Sherlock couldn’t believe his eyes, nor his ears. No. No! It could not be! His logical scientific mind told him that he was dreaming. Something so miraculous could never happen.

John continued, “I’m John, John Watson, the man you’ve been looking for. I… I…” He was dazzled. He didn’t even know what emotions he was feeling. Wild with joy? Confused? Astonished?

He pulled Sherlock to a hug.

Sherlock was crying too. The man he loved, snatched away from him for years, suddenly and so unbelievably appeared before his eyes. He was so shocked.

“Sherlock. Sherlock.” John whispered into his ears soothingly. “Sherlock. Promise me, never leave me alone. Never go away. Never leave me broken and desperately missing you. We would never, ever let anyone stop us from being together from now on. I could not lose you again. Not after these painful years.”

 

***

Centuries after their era, pirates of all countries and all tongue would know of this ancient sea chanty, about a Pirate Captain and a Royal Navy Captain, who fell in love, and sailed to the world’s edge and the sea’s end together. All kinds of challenge awaited them, but their strong bond of love broke every curse.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Comment!! Thank you so much. I hope you enjoy my work : )  
> Have a nice day, guys!


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